"SENATOR MURGATROYD!"
"W-what!" exclaimed Murgatroyd, rising.
"I want to shake hands with you. Then I'm the first to announce it? Good!"
And he proceeded to tell Murgatroyd that the latter had just been chosen on joint ballot, majority in both houses, for the Senatorship, ending with:—
"Allow me—allow me to congratulate you!"
His voice rang true, even though he did not mean it; and Murgatroyd shook his hand, saying:—
"I thought it would be you, Thorne; you put up a good fight."
"We did, you mean," protested Thorne. "My crowd did, as usual. But you, Murgatroyd, deserve your honours—it was one man against the field, one man against illimitable backing. Senator," he declared, bowing, "I take off my hat to you! You have done what has never been done before, and you've done it without a dollar! You're the first man in the State," he went on frankly, "to be chosen by the people, literally by the people, and without a dollar behind you."
Still Murgatroyd shook his head, and repeated:—
"Thorne, it looked like you."